A Rose So Sweet, Yet Cold
by HannahBanana94
Summary: A rose so sweet that the most bitter of ales would turn to the sweetest honey in her presence. Yet cold, as the Gods had been cruel to the girl of almost twenty years. Life without a mother for guidance and married to a man, whom she would never love. Forced to bear his child for the sake of his family. This is Anya Baratheon.
1. Prologue

**Summary: _A rose so sweet that the most bitter of ales would turn to the sweetest honey in her presence. Yet cold, as the Gods had been cruel to the girl of almost twenty years. Life without a mother for guidance and married to a man, whom she would never love. Forced to bear his child for the sake of his family. This is Anya Baratheon. _**_  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones. All rights are reserved to it's owners. I only own my original characters.**

**Anya pronounced: Ann-YA, not An-EE-ah**

**N.B. Despite the pairing, this is not necessarily a story of love. It's more an anti-love story. Anya has a very strong sense of duty and honour, which you will grasp after a few chapters. She's not necessarily rebellious, she's a free spirit, but she can be tamed. This chapter isn't a great insight into her character yet. There is still so much more about her to know. But, one thing that is evident all throughout the fanfiction is her duty, her honour, her sense of entitlement and. She saw it as a sense of duty to her father to marry, it was duty to her husband to bear a child. As it goes on, you'll see her sense of duty towards the realm grow and grow. **

**As time goes on, she sees it as her duty to the realm to take the throne, she just doesn't know how because she's allowed people to shelter her until she got married. Since being married, she found this whole other world of King's Landing. She never knew the corruption and lying until she got married and she's still settling into that world, she still refuses to believe some of the stuff that goes on. She's very sweet, she's kind, she's loyal all them things, but she is quite hard. These new revelations have caused her to have a colder outlook on life than what she used to have. It had been building for years this coldness and now it's starting to surface and she doesn't like it. You'll see as the fanfiction goes on. Enjoy x**

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I was known the rose of Kings Landing, much like my mother was known as the rose of the North. I don't know why. Probably because I resembled my late mother so much. Her long oval face, billowing brown locks and grey eyes were of the North, something considered exotic in the southern capital. Something I possessed.

I was the daughter of an alliance between Storm's End and Winterfell. My father and mother were only married for a short while when she was kidnapped by the Targaryen prince, Rhaegar. My father started a war to win her back. But she still died. I only ever knew the stories that my father and Septa had told her. How he rejected his wife and kidnapped my mother from her bed. Holding her in the Tower of Joy all the way in Dorne until she died of a fever. So far from her home. I was told she loved the North. As I got older, her stepmother spitefully told me the things he probably did to her there before she died.  
The Queen always hated me, and I alike. I reminded her too much of the other woman in her marriage to my father. My late mother. He still loved her dearly after all these years. It had been seventeen years since he took the throne. I was only babe of two name days in Riverrun. I was cared for by my aunt by law Catelyn for the duration of the war. It raged on for over a year. I don't remember anything, only what I told as I aged. I was told of my father's bravery in the war. How he killed Prince Rhaegar with one swing of his hammer at the Battle of the Trident. How he took the Iron Throne and sent the Targaryen bloodline into near extinction.

I was told all these stories. Yet, I don't see the man that is described in my history books. I see the whoring, drunken man he is. Everyone in King's Landing does. But, he's still my father. We may not share the look, but I am his by blood. I am the blood of a stag and wolf. A combination I pride, even though I only approach my twentieth year.

It is a pity my husband despises both bloodlines.

Oh yes, now we are onto the topic of my dear, loving, chivalrous, courageous, strong, loyal husband. I lay at myself. He is everything but dear and loving and chivalrous and loyal, although courageous and strong he may be. He is a knight after all. But the marriage is wholly political, there is no love shared between us. There was no love lost either, I must also add. We have grown to be civil to one another, but he was still a Lannister. Even my father never trusted them, and he keeps a Lion in his bed. Not that he goes to that bed often.

Ser Jaime and I were married shortly after my eighteen name day. My father relieved him of his duties in the Kings guard, although he still serves him as a sworn sword. The Queen wasn't happy to hear of the betrothal. She was probably the only one in the Seven Kingdoms who despised the match more than myself. It was a ploy between Robert and Lord Tywin. The only way the Lord of Casterly Rock would keep funding the crown was by strengthening the alliance between the two families. Relieving Jaime of his duties now made him heir to Casterly Rock, destined to be Lord after his father. A marriage between us seem perfect. I was the only child of Robert whom he wasn't related to, his sister obviously being my spiteful stepmother.

I was tied into a lovely marriage with the Kingslayer and shortly after became pregnant. We had only consummated our marriage once, our wedding night. That seemed to be enough. And surely many moons later I birthed a baby boy into the world. As customary, there were no men in the room. It's no place for them in my opinion. A woman birthing a child. It's something only women should witness. With the exception of the maester of course. The Queen was there. She sat on the other side of the room silent and still as I heaved , sweated and pushed my son out of me. He was so little when he was born. Little Willtyn Lannister, son of Ser Jaime Lannister and Princess Anya Baratheon. He had my brown hair and oval face, but as he grew, his eyes had shown to be as green and mischievous as his fathers.

My father had been delighted when he returned from hunting with my husband. Another custom my father continued since the birth of his children by Cersei. When she went into birthing, he would go out into the Kingswood and hunt until the babe was delivered. To him there was no excuse not to on the birth of his first grandchild. Jaime went too without protesting. My father had told his wife that he would catch the biggest boar to eat at the child's name day celebration in the days following the birth. And so he did and the bells rang from one dawn to the next in King's Landing following his birth. A celebratory feast was had and Lords and Lady's came from all over the Seven Kingdoms.

My Lord uncle in Winterfell was unable to make it. Instead he sent a banner man down with a gift. A thick blanket made of grey wolf fur with a note attached. "Winter is coming." I smiled reading my mother's house words. I had always kept to both houses, ever since I was a little girl. Winter is coming and Ours is fury were my mottos. I then knew my babe son would live by different house words; Hear me roar. Unless I taught him otherwise. The Queen had done so with her children, they respected the Lannister house more than their fathers due to their mother's influence. My only issue was, I would never be my stepmother. I swore a long time ago, that on my honour, I would never become the woman she was.

Time had passed and my little Will had grown immensely. I still remember the words the Queen told me while I was heavy with him. How could I forget them? They were the only kind words she had ever spoken to me.

_"One cannot describe the love a mother feels towards her child, especially her first." She rest her slender hand on the swell of my belly as I lay in bed. I had been confined to my chambers for the last month of my pregnancy on my maester's orders. She looked up from her own hand to my eyes. Her green lioness eyes piercing my grey doe ones. "Protect the child, there will be people in the world who want to hurt it."_

_"Who would want to hurt a child?" I asked innocently. The naivety of my age shining though. I hadn't reached my nineteenth name day yet and it was more likely my child would be born before it._

_"No one," the Queen gave a devilish smile that unnerved me, causing a knot to form in my stomach. "You must rest."_

She was right. A mother's love was stronger than any other love I felt. Love for my father, love for my family, love for my realm. It was ten times the size of any love I had ever known. My father told me that my mother had been the same. He said with every waking moment following my birth she held me in her arms. She never wanted to let me go. I was the same with Will. He never left my arms. I sang him songs of the rebellion and told him stories, not that he understood. He was only nine moons old.

Today, I walked with my son through the gardens of the red keep. We stood by the bay, me holding him up on his feet as he stood along the wall. He pointed at the all the ships and watching in fascination as they glazed over the water. I didn't want to be in the keep with him right now. Jon Arryn had take ill last night with a fever. They feared he would die soon. I didn't want my son around the panic that had now consumed the castle.

"One day I'll take you out on a ship, Will," I said, resting my head against his little rosy cheeky. Since that day with Cersei I had become paranoid. I kept in contact with Varys, the Spider, for information. Just the other night I had been speaking with him and Varys. Something implied had consumed my mind ever since.

_"So you believe it true then," Varys spoke with Jon, as they walked towards the tower of the hand. They hadn't heard me approached them from behind._

_"Aye, I believe so," Jon said with a nod of his head. "The seed is strong, Lord Varys. Maybe not as strong as the seed of First Men, but definitely stronger than the Lannister. They did condone the Targaryen ways after all."_

_"And what ways would that be, Lord Arryn?" I asked, catching their attention. Both men turned to look at the young royal before them. It was late, but I was still dressed for the day. Will had just settled into his bed. I wanted to speak with Varys before retiring to my chambers. I had caught him walking with Lord Arryn and silently followed them._

_"Nothing of importance, your grace," he said, tipping his head to her. He looked straight into my eyes as if to say something. "I must now retire. Lord Varys, Princess Anya."_

Everyone knew the Lannisters were fond of marrying cousins, if not siblings, as did the Targaryens. What did he mean if he were implying this? The seed was stronger than the Lannisters, but not the First Men. Everyone knew the Starks were direct descendants of the First Men. I was of the Stark bloodline through my mother, and I took after her in appearance. My father's three younger children all favoured their mother also. But how could this be? A seed so tainted by their incestuous way overcame the powerful Baratheon seed. Yes, it was obvious. My siblings - Joffrey, Myrcella and little Tommon - we not in fact my siblings.

"We can go far away from King's Landing. Somewhere where you and I will be safe." I continued to tell him. If this were true, that made me King Roberts only trueborn child. Yes, they were his children, but they had no more claim to the throne than Joffrey, Tommon or Myrcella due to their bastard status. I was the rightful heir to the throne. If the Queen knew I knew, she would surely have me killed along with my son. She was hell bent on training Joffrey to rule like a true Lannister, rather than a Baratheon. She obviously knew Joffrey was not my father's true son. She wouldn't let me stand in her way of putting him on the Iron Throne, or my son, an innocent babe.

I did not have to think hard about who their father was. It was blatantly obvious that it was my husband, the Queens brother. The Lannister bloodline wouldn't have survived when paired with another. Maybe perhaps the Targaryens, but they were in the Free Cities, exiled by my father. They wouldn't have risked coming back to the Seven Kingdoms. Not if they wanted to keep their heads. It was Jaime. The father of my son was also the father of three bastards by his sister. How could I even look at him? How could I pass my son to him and watch him smile and ruffle his brown hair? How could I lay with him again? I knew his father was awaiting more children to be born. As was mine. We had been married for two years and our first child was growing fast. It was only customary for another to be conceived soon. I couldn't even let him touch me after the sins he committed with his sister.

"My lady," the familiar voice of my husband sounded from down the gardens. I heard the clanging of his armour before turning my body to face him, holding my son tightly in my arms. "Jon Arryn is dead."


	2. Chapter One

**Summary: _A rose so sweet that the most bitter of ales would turn to the sweetest honey in her presence. Yet cold, as the Gods had been cruel to the girl of almost twenty years. Life without a mother for guidance and married to a man, whom she would never love. Forced to bear his child for the sake of his family. This is Anya Baratheon. _**_  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones. All rights are reserved to it's owners. I only own my original characters.**

**P.S. Looking for someone to help proofread chapters for me. I try, but I always seem to miss things. It would help me a lot. **

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**Chapter One**

The King's Road was long and tiresome. Jon Arryn had been dead little over a month and now we ride north for Winterfell. This was my first time being North and the first time seeming my Lord uncle in over nine years. I was merely a child during the Greyjoy Rebellion. A rebellion my father and uncle happily crushed. It was no surprise that he chose Ned to be the new Hand of the King. I had my input, like any other. I was the first to suggest my northern uncle for the role. I had overheard my husband and stepmother conniving to have their father reinstated as Hand of the King. I spoke with my father and he said he was already sure he would be asking Ned Stark to be his Hand. He also added:

_"I'll be shitting fairies before I make Tywin Lannister the Hand of the King."_

We left the day after Lord Arryn was laid to rest. I rode in a separate wheelhouse to that of my stepmother and siblings. Or supposed siblings, I should say. It made the journey that bit more bearable, not having to be in the presence if my doting stepmother. Ha, I laugh. We are nearing Winterfell as I speak. We departed from the inn at dawn in order to arrive in the Northern capital during daylight. In fact, I can even see Winterfell just on the next hill.

"It's quite small, my lady" Timeah, my Lysene handmaiden, stated.

"The North isn't as grand as King's Landing," I said, running my fingers through my sons growing brown hair. Will had just turned ten months. And on that anniversary, I also received letter from my dear father by law in the Westerlands.

_As my grandson, Willtyn, grows, as does suspicion. King's Landing is so rife in gossip, I can hear the whispers all the way here, in Casterly Rock. From what I have heard, you and my son no longer share a bed. You're a smart girl, Anya. I'm sure you know what I must insist. You must put these suspicions to bed, literally, and bear my son another child. _

My mind is still reeling from my discovery of my husbands indiscretions with his sister. Now, his father is demanding another child. Letting Jaime into my bed again was something that I intended will not be happening for a long time. But no, Lord Tywin is making these demands. I know it is my duty was a wife to provide children and heirs for him. But, when my husband, no matter how unloving the marriage may be, disrespects me and our marriage by committing such a sin, how much is my duty worth then? It's not bad enough he finds comfort in another's bed. But, when that bed belongs to his sister. I thought this over and over again. The Faith condemns that sort of thing. Incest, it's a moral sin. If I could, I would have gone to the High Septon to have this marriage declared void and annulled. But, as my son is proof that our marriage has been consummated, there would be no annulment granted.

"Are you well, my lady?" Timeah questioned.

"Yes, of course," I answered quickly, breaking away from my ever consuming thoughts. "The journey has tired me. That is all."

"Well, you can rest soon," she continues. "We're approaching Winterfell now."

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I peaked out of the window of my wheelhouse once the we glided to a peaceful stop in the Winterfell courtyard. I could see my Lord uncle and his family lined up, along with the members of his household. The King approached them and I could see my stepmother exit her own wheelhouse.

I exited first and allowed Timeah to hand my Will to me. Balancing him on my hip, I joined the Queen and her children, earning an evil glare from her of course. Cersei was never the overly affectionate motherly type. Even with her own children. She had a wet nurse feed them and a nursemaid help rear them. I didn't employ a wet nurse nor a nursemaid to raise him. Will was my son, so I will raise him myself. It's my role as a mother to do so. The Queen turned her head back and walked over to greeted Ned and Catelyn.

"Take me to your crypts, I want to pay my respects," my father demanded.

"We've been riding for a month, my love." Cersei said, bitterly. "Surely the dead can wait."

"Ned," the King emphasized. "You come too, Anya. Pay your respects to your mother." All eyes landed on me, including the piercing ones of my stepmother. I looked to the ground before making brief eye contact with my father.

"I will make sure to do so, before we depart."

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After being shown to my room, I made sure to bathe. I was sweaty from the journey. I hadn't had a proper bathe in almost a week. I was starting to smell. A princess doesn't smell. Will slept in the cot prepared in my room. It was spacious with a grand fire place in one end. I had expected it to be colder. That was until a servant girl told me Winterfell had been built on a hot springs. The water is pumped through the walls of the castle, keeping it warm despite the hard granite walls. I let my hair dry into it's naturally curly form and had Timeah style it. I asked her to keep it simple. We were in the North after all. Things are much simpler here. Timeah was half way through lacing up my corset when I heard someone enter the room. My hands were rested on top of a sturdy table for balance, as I groaned through the pulling of it's strings. I had worn a corset since I flowered. I was used to them, the worst part was the pulling of strings. After that, they were easy to maneuver in. The only time since then that I didn't wear one was when I was starting to grow with little Will. I turn my head over my shoulder to see Jaime standing there.

"What brings you here?" I asked, turning my head back to stare at the stone wall. Timeah did not stop lacing my corset. She wouldn't unless I tell her otherwise.

"Lady Stark asks if you are ready," he informs me. "The feast will begin shortly."

"Soon," I said with a shark intake of breath. I could hear my husband turning to leave. "Your Lord father wrote to me recently."

"And what did he have to say?"

"He says I am to bear _you_ another child," I say, not shifting my glance from the wall in front of me. "He hears the rumors, Jaime. All of Westeros will know that you and I no longer find each others comfort."

"When did we ever?" Jaime asked.

"Yes, but, it should not be half the Lord's in the seven kingdoms knowledge," I said, looking over my shoulder again. He stared at me with a blank expression. We were not given an opinion in any of this. Well, for myself, an opinion of value. I made my opinions quite clear when my father informed me I was to marry Jaime Lannister. The king-slayer. He more than likely done the same. Being striped of his vows to the Kings guard, just so he could marry the princess and have children that will carry on the name Lannister. Now, we are given no choice again in the timing of our next child. It turns my stomach to think of it. The sins he's committed. Letting him into my bed so I can fulfill my role as wife, as Tywin Lannister likes to remind me so often. Tywin Lannister is a man of strategy, there is no doubt about it. He's been planning this for months. It has taken this long for me to finally concave. This was the first letter of Jaime's knowledge that I received from his father. He knows nothing of the seven others hidden in my chambers. "Once we return to King's Landing, it shall be done. We are guests here and we must treat my Lord uncle's courtesy with respect."

"And the King can fuck the milkmaid while he's here," Jaime said without a thought. "Will he not? He wants to dishonor my sister in all seven kingdoms before he dies." _You dishonored me. _I wish I could scream it out. But, no matter how high born I was, something like that still could be regarded as treason if the wrong person heard.

"That is _my_ father you speak of," I say, as Timeah finished off lacing my corset. "Your King."

"Aerys Targaryen was my King too," he shrugged his shoulders. I glared at him with narrowed eyes while he smugly smirked. That coy Lannister expression.

"I'll empty your chamber pot now, my lady," Timeah said, disappearing out of the room, closing the door behind her. I straightened my posture and glared at him. As a child, I took my lessons seriously. As a child, I did not know of the reason why Cersei hated me so. I did everything to please her. I wanted a mother. But, she never cared for me. No matter how well I sang or how neatly I sewed. I was still _her _daughter.

"Then I must watch my father's back, _Kingslayer_," I told him, gritting my teeth on the last word.

"Don't call me that," he told me as I stepped closer to him. As I got closer, I saw what women fawned over. The green Lannister eyes. The golden hair. The lustrous looks. Every women in the kingdom wanted him and yet I protested marrying him, Ser Jaime Lannister

"Why? It's what you are," I said. "The histories state it. Jaime Lannister of the Kings guard, drove his sword through Aerys Targaryen's bac-" I was cut off by Jaime slamming his lips onto mine and pressing my body against the stone wall. I was that taken with the shock that I didn't fight him off. _I_ let him kiss _me_. He broke away after only a few moments.

"Don't call me that," he repeated. I was speechless. This was the rare occurrence where I was well and truly _speechless_. All I could handle was a nod of the head, while my chest heaved against his. Our faces were mere inches apart. We'd never been this close. Not in all of two years. I truly saw him for the first time. Everything else seemed to disappear from my mind. He wasn't the Kingslayer. He didn't fuck his sister. He was just _Jaime_. So, I let him kiss me again.

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**P.S. I know this is GOT universe and all, but there will be no...you know...scenes. I'm 18 guys. I've never. I get uncomfortable watching that shit. You will not be seeing a _*whispers* sex..._scene from me for a long time. **

**Thanks to all the 54 who followed, favorited and reviewed so far! Love you all :) No more updates from any of my fanfictions until June. To be honest when do I ever update. But, seriously though. This will be my last until at least June 18th. I have my Leaving Certificate exams coming up (kind of like the SAT's) and my last exam, chemistry, is then. Eleven huge exams in two weeks (English P1, English P2, Maths P1, Maths P2, Irish P1, Irish P2, Biology, French, History, Art History and Chemistry). Wish me luck X**

**Jezz: **Thanks, hope you enjoyed it.

**Naruhina1519: **Hope you enjoyed it.

**xenocanaan: **Thanks, hope you enjoyed it.

**ghg: **You never know, it may or may not happen. You'll just have to stay tuned for now.

**KatieGG: **Thank you every much. Hope you enjoyed it. You're asking the wrong person. English isn't my first language. I'm a native Irish speaker and I've always attended school through Irish (with the exception of English class, of course). But, yet it was good. Don't worry.

**BookWorm4479: **These are the things I miss. Thank you very much for pointing it out. I have fixed the ones I could spot. Only had a quick glance. Don't have much time at the minute. Fiction wouldn't be my strongest written piece, I never practiced it much in English class. I've always preferred articles and speeches to short stories or personal essays. But, thanks for that. I'll try, but like I said. I'm not a brilliant fiction writer, I'm just doing this to help improve my English. Thank you very much. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**0netflixme0: **hope you enjoyed it :)


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